The Hierophant

5: The Hierophant


He is the High Priest, counterpart to the High Priestess; known also as the Pope, the Shaman. In the Vikings tarot this card is Odin, accompanied by his ravens Huginn (Thought) and Munnin (Memory). He is Gandalf the White, Chiron the Centaur.

He sits before the pillars to the temple, his hand raised in benediction. In his left hand he holds the triple cross; upon his head he wears the triple crown. The number three is sacred, representing the divine and the order of things: maiden, mother, crone; father, son, holy spirit; past, present, future; beginning, middle, end.

Hierophantes originates from the Greek roots hieros, sacred, and phainein, to reveal or show; the Hierophant is the one who reveals the sacred mysteries and passes this knowledge on. At his feet lay the keys to the mysteries, which he both guards and reveals. Before him kneel two acolytes, ready to receive his blessing as they become initiates into the order. One is dressed in the red roses of passion; the other, the white lilies of purity. Their heads are shaved in a display of their dedication.

The Hierophant is the highest authority, formal rigid structure, organized hierarchy. He offers blessings and reveals the sacred knowledge to those who would devote themselves to it.

Days of the Week

Here we see Sunna and Mani, the Norse goddess of the sun and god of the moon. Pagan traditions typically view the moon as female, presumably because the moon's waxing and waning coincides with the female menstrual cycle. Why the Norse viewed it the other way around is not known (to me; please enlighten me if you have any insight), but I'll speculate that it has something to do with the life-giving power of the sun in a land so often cold and dark.

So the Sun and the Moon are the first two days of the calendar, and rightly so. These two celestial objects are the most visible and important to us; the sun that gives us life, and the ever-changing moon that helps us mark the seasons.

I think it's common knowledge that nearly all the English days of the week are named after Norse deities.


Tyr's day (Tuesday)
Woden's day (Wednesday)
Thor's day (Thursday)
Freyja/Frigg's day (Friday - it's debatable which goddess this day is named for)

Saturday is the outlier, named after the Roman god Saturn.

I've been making an effort in my daily practice to wear some symbol of that day's deity, and have a mind to what qualities they exemplify as I go through my day. Woden (Odin), for example, calls to mind wisdom and discipline. Thor suggests strength and courage. Frigg's domain is the home, wisdom, prophecy; Freyja's is sexuality and magic. I have seen a theory that Saturday could come from Saeter, a Germanic term for the god Loki, and while this is dubious at best I have a special fondness for Loki, and what better day to celebrate mischief and fun than Saturday?

It's probably not accurate, though. The old Norse name for Saturday translates to "washing day." Most weeks, that's what I'm doing.